Stars - Mustangs Preview (Again)

The Battlefords North Stars welcome the Melfort Mustangs (2-2) to the Civic Center tonight. It's only game four of the year, but already a sense of urgency is present in North Star Nation. The Stars were considered by many to be a favourite in the Bauer Conference, and while they still belong in that category, their start has more than a few people asking questions.

A win tonight would go along way in silencing some of the early doubters.



Record: 2-2

Who's Up Fromt:

The Melfort Mustangs have a solid group of forwards. Their depth was on display last night as all four lines were able to gain pressure and move the puck inside the North Star's zone. A breakout player last night was 20-year-old forward Justin Bardarson. Bardarson scored the first two goals of the game for Melfort, and was a threat almost everytime he was on the ice. Another strong game from Bardarson could go along way in helping Melfort sweep the home-and-home series.

Who's on D:

Mitch Berg has all of the tools to be an all-star defenceman in the SJHL. His performance last night was stellar. He's big, smart and has an offensive upside to his game. Berg assisted in Bardarson's second goal of the game, and logged a lot of minutes. We'll see how his play translates to the road.


Who's in Goal:

After a sub-par first period, Charles Corsi really settled down for Melfort. He made the saves he had to make, and he had good rebound control. Does Corsi's performance garner another start tonight? I guess we'll see.

X-Factor:

Brody Haygarth showed again last night that he's a kid capable of carrying a team on his back. He scored the winning goal, played the point on the power-play and showed a lot of guts. The Stars will need to keep Haygarth in check if they want to grab their first victory.



Record: 0-2-1-0

Who's Up Front:

The trio of Blake Tatchell, Colin Phaneuf, and Brett Miller accounted for two-thirds of the team's offense last night. These three are as steady as it gets, and I look for them to carry that momentum forward into tonight's game.

Who's on D:

Woody Klassen scored his first goal of the year last night, and played a strong game even in defeat. I felt that Dakota Johnson played steady as well, and Jacob Chiblow had his moments. The problem here is that nobody on the Star's blueline has really elevated their play from last year. One of the vets on the blue-line is going to have to make an impression tonight with a big hit, a blocked shot, or a fight. Something to rally the team.

Who's in Goal:

Ken Pearson made it no secret that he wasn't pleased with Kyle Birch's play last night. So with that in mind, Alex Sirard gets his second start in a North Star's uniform.

X-Factor:

The North Star's need some more offensive production from their forwards. The Miller/Tatchell/Phaneuf can only carry this team for so long. Shayne Morrissey has shown spurts, and Tim Rollins had a great chance last night. But it hasn't been good enough. Josh Daley, Nathan Tomac, Tanner Schwab, and Calder Neufeld need to pick it up a notch and start contributing more offensively. If the Stars can get some more steady production from their forwards they'll have a great shot at their first victory of the season.


Your thoughts?